Youth Economic Opportunity Ecosystem Analysis: Rwanda Country Report

This report is the key output of an assessment implemented in Rwanda, as part of YouthStart Global inception phase. The report aims to capture a picture of the youth economic opportunities ecosystem in Rwanda by:

• Providing an overview of the employment challenge and demand for financial services;
• Presenting a comprehensive analysis of the demand for and the supply of labor;
• Identifying high-potential opportunities for youth.

It also provides an overview and mapping of the current youth intervention landscape and the supply of financial services, as well as an assessment of key gaps for each of the high-potential opportunities for youth. The key findings presented in the report are:

1. Rwanda’s labor market is severely demand-constrained. There is broad consensus that self-employment and enterprise development will be the mechanisms by which to create more opportunities for youth;
2. Access to capital is a major and consistent challenge limiting youth’s ability to successfully start a business;
3. Four sectors have emerged as offering the most promising economic opportunities for youth - construction, information and communications technology (ICT), tourism and agriculture;
4. Existing programs are not fully addressing the different elements required for youth to access high potential opportunities within the most promising economic sectors.